Anne-Girl

Anne-Girl … Please tell me you know her… I love her!

Ok, so, she’s not a real person. Well, I should qualify, she “kind of” is. She is the character, Anne Shirley. But, much of her was lived in the life of her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery. Technically, she is fictional. Yet, if you have read the series, Anne of Green Gables, or seen the video series, you know, Anne takes on a life of her own, becoming a companion, once you meet. Her indelible impressions come to life with little effort. 

She has been a favorite around our house since my daughter and I watched the series on video twenty-plus years ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t know her in my younger years. But, I have enjoyed every minute of discovering her. 

She is an orphan; like her author, whose mother died when she was a toddler. Anne is a spunky precocious dreamy, imaginative red-head. Her out-spoken personality winds up in many circumstances; most, effecting the heart. Her upbringing supplied her with plenty of raw realism: whenever her mouth opens, it spills out. She is not just entertaining, she is intriguing, endearing, remarkable, unforgettable, and a teacher of many lessons.

Setting

She and her story-mates, set in the late 1800s, present many ethical, relational, heart issues, applicable to any decade/century. She makes me laugh and spills my tear ducts.

Anne’s story takes place on Prince Edward Island, Canada (PEI). Her author, too, grew up there! It’s a dreamy place. We took a trip there once. (Take me back.) It is the perfect place for authors and fictional characters to reside.

 

 

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Prince Edward Island, Canada

Anne insists her name is spelled with an “e”: to make her “less ordinary”.  Feeling unwanted and unloved, the spelling of her name is one bit of her world she can control. So, she demands her preference with vibrato and emphasis. My heart instantly empathizes with her, trying so hard to find a scrap of self-esteem and self-worth.

I did not grow up an orphan. Yet, I recall striving for self-worth and esteem. What seems extreme and ridiculous to others, can be important to the one lacking and seeking approval. 

Anne added an “e”.

What do you add behind your name? MD, RN, Mom, Sister, Daughter, Esquire, Teacher, Actress, Activist, Volunteer, Writer, Therapist, Counselor, Runner, Photographer, Artist, Accountant, Engineer, Architect, Entrepreneur, Musician, Graphic Designer, etc.

We all do it…. Seek worth in our name and titles.

You may have earned the title, been given the title, or suited yourself in adapting your title. But, in reality, it’s linked to your name, just like Anne’s “e”! If titles aren’t stated when meeting someone, they follow in conversation… “What do you do?” 

Names

Names in the Bible were granted with careful consideration. They spoke of heritage and placement in society. They defined someone. Names today are not as defining, but last names still contain heritage and familial linkage.

The Bible says:

 God Knows Your Name!!!!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

Isaiah 43:1

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

John 10:14-15

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5

“To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

John 10:3

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.”

 Psalm 91:14

 

How’s that for self-esteem and worth?

Think about it for a moment.

He. Knows. Your. Name.!!!

Let it sink in!

Do you feel important, yet?

Next time you need a little self-worth or esteem, don’t rely on man-made titles, even if they were earned. Take joy, comfort, and importance in the fact, that GOD KNOWS YOUR NAME!!

You never have to introduce yourself or remind Him who you are! You don’t even have to sign the letter … He already knows … it’s YOU!

The thought explodes my brain and captivates my heart!

These are jump-up-and-down happy, twirling, dancing ecstatic words!!

God knows who you are and can call you by name, even if,

you add an “e” at the end!

 

GOD KNOWS MY NAME,

Current Anne Series: Netflix released a new “Anne” series this year. It bears little resemblance to L.M. Montgomery’s work!! I was highly disappointed, couldn’t finish it. Don’t waste your time. Read the original or watch the 1980s version starring Megan Follows.

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